Chapter 20: The Civil Rights Movement

Post-WWII African Americans grew dissatisfied with their second-class status after WWII Risked their lives defending freedom abroad Civil Rights Movement-a broad and diverse effort to attain racial equality http://www.history.com/shows/america-the-story-of-us/videos/blacks-in-the-military#blacks-in-the-military

Segregation divides America Jim Crow laws-enforced strict separation of the races in the South Schools, hospitals, transportation, & restaurants De jure segregation-imposed by law 1896 Plessy vs. Ferguson-”Separate but equal”

Segregation in the North De facto segregation: segregated by unwritten custom or tradition, face of life Blacks were denied housing in many neighborhoods and faced discrimination in employment (NORTH)

The Impact of Segregation African Americans received low-paying jobs Higher rates of poverty and illiteracy Lower rates of homeownership and life expectancy Couldn’t vote in the south https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG_N-Ja2x9c

The Civil Rights Movement Grows Congress of Racial Equality (CORE): became convinced to use non-violent methods to gain civil rights Organized Protests in northern cities Jackie Robinson President Truman used his executive power to order the desegregation of the military http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnanG39_gzs

NAACP Challenges Segregation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYQswadO_3U NAACP Challenges Segregation NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) became the largest and most powerful civil rights organization Thurgood Marshal-headed the team that challenged the legality of segregation

Brown vs. Board 1954 NAACP challenged the “separate but equal” ruling The Supreme Court agreed with NAACP argument that segregated public education violated the U.S. Constitution Effects: Great impact since it touched so many Americans Opposition to the ruling declared that the South would not be integrated (White Citizens Council) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2XHob_nVbw

Little Rock Nine President Eisenhower sent federal troops to Little Rock to protect the African American students and to enforce Brown vs. Board For the entire school year, federal troops stayed in Little Rock escorting the students to and from school

Effects of Little Rock Nine It demonstrated that the President would not tolerate open defiance of the law However, most southern states found ways to resist desegregation and it would take years before black and white children went to school together http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oodolEmUg2g

Montgomery Bus Boycott Rosa Parks actions transformed the movement NAACP began preparing a legal challenge Rise of MLK: urged non-violence Boycott lasted a year In 1956 the Supreme Court ruled the Montgomery bus segregation law was unconstitutional

Effects of the Boycott and the Supreme Court Victory Revealed the power African Americans could have if they joined together King established the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Advocated nonviolent resistance to fight injustice http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZhSNiTQuqo

Freedom ride Test the federal government’s willingness to enforce that segregation on interstate buses was illegal (Boynton v. Virginia 1960) En route, they defied segregation codes In Alabama firebombed one bus and attacked the riders of the second bus

Effects of the Freedom Ride Kennedy takes action Federal Transportation Commission issued an order mandating the desegregation of interstate transportation Civil rights activists achieved their goal and that intimidation would not defeat them http://video.pbs.org/video/1574363015/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WaaMp8AWQM

Sit-ins Four black students at North Carolina sat down in a white diner and were told that they would not be served (First) Sit ins became a new way to protest segregation of public facilities http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZE0a5-p9pg

Focus on Birmingham Letter from Birmingham jail by King Freedom marches: schoolchildren joined the demonstrations Many Americans were shocked by the news coverage of nonviolent protestors set upon by dogs and jets of water Kennedy approves civil rights bill (he will not sign it, he will be assassinated before it gets put into a law) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggUt0gJh9U8

March on Washington To put pressure on Congress to pass the new civil rights bill Drew more than 200,000 MLK-”I have a dream” One of the largest political demonstrations A model for peaceful protest http://www.history.com/videos/martin-luther-king-jr-leads-the-march-on-washington#martin-luther-king-jr-leads-the-march-on-washington http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/53019184#53019184 (Birmingham bombing)

Civil Rights Act of 1964 The act banned segregation in public accommodations Gave the federal government the ability to desegregate schools Prosecute individuals who violated people’s civil rights Outlawed discrimination in employment Established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) http://www.history.com/videos/civil-rights-act-of-1964#civil-rights-act-of-1964

The Push for Voting Rights Literacy tests Poll taxes Intimidation All kept blacks from voting Example of Test: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_vault/2013/06/28/voting_rights_and_the_supreme_court_the_impossible_literacy_test_louisiana.html

Voting Rights Act of 1965 Spurred by actions of protesters and the President, Congress passed the act It banned literacy tests and empowered the federal government to oversee voting registration By 1975, Congress extended to Hispanic voters Black participation jumped from 7% in 1964 to 70% in 1986

The Riots Frustration over discrimination and poverty Worst in Newark, New Jersey and Detroit, Michigan in the summer of 1967 Blacks using violence against police and white business owners in black neighborhoods http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6RXBTswx-g

The Kerner Commission It concluded racial discrimination as the cause of the violence They recommended by extending federal programs to Urban black neighborhoods Controversy surrounding the Commission Johnson did not follow up

Malcolm X Influenced by race riots Difficult childhood While in jail, converted to the Nation of Islam Strict rules of behavior, no drugs or alcohol, and demanded a separation of the races Changed his name to Malcolm X (original name was Malcolm Little)

Malcolm X He became the Nation of Islam’s most prominent minister However, he broke away and formed his own Three members were later convicted of assassinating Malcolm After his pilgrimage to Mecca, Malcolm was more willing to consider limited acceptance of whites http://www.biography.com/people/malcolm-x-9396195

“Black Power” Move away from nonviolence Stokley Carmichael’s definition: it meant African Americans should collectively use their economic and political muscle to gain equality Institutional Racism http://www.history.com/videos/stokely-carmichael#stokely-carmichael

Black Panthers Symbol of young militant African Americans Protected urban neighborhoods from police abuse Created antipoverty programs Stokely was “honorary Prime Minister” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMzk89bYjiQ

MLK’s final days Understood the anger and frustration of many urban African Americans Disagreed with the call for “black power” King’s assassination triggered riots in more than 100 cities 2 months later JFK was assassinated http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lqa-bN-l6A

Significant Gains Eliminated legal or de jure segregation Knocked down barriers of voting and political participation for African Americans Poverty rates fell Increase in the number of African Americans high school graduates Appointment of Thurgood Marshall as the first African American Supreme Court Justice in 1967 Fair Housing Act

Controversial Issues Affirmative Action: increase African American representation in schools and the workforce Racism Social and Economic gap